Urewera dawn raids: IPCA report to be released today

Photo / File

The Independent Police Conduct Authority will release its report today into the behaviour of police in the Urewera dawn raids.

During the police operation in October 2007, 18 people were arrested in the Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Wellington.

The Crown said those arrested were involved in militia-style training camps based in the Urewera National Park.

Four of those arrested, including Tuhoe stalwart Tame Iti, were the only people left facing charges in connection with the raids.

The police sought charges under the Terrorism Act after filming weapons training in the Urewera Ranges but were left with the firearms charges after the courts ruled evidence to be inadmissible.

Local iwi Tuhoe are seeking an apology from police for the raids, in which black-clad armed officers swept through the Ruatoki community.

The iwi has complained to the IPCA for not being given an advance copy of its report, like police at National Headquarters were, Radio New Zealand reported.

A Tuhoe leader Tamati Kruger said he was seeking an acknowledgment that something very wrong happened that day.